This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
In the field of off-roading, beam axle assemblies are perceived as providing advantages over other axle assembly types when operating in certain types of terrain, such as when rock crawling. These advantages include the perception of increased durability and the articulation of the axle assembly when traversing uneven terrain so that the position of the differential can be shifted as a function of the position of the axle wheels so as to better avoid contact between the ground/an obstruction and the portion of the axle assembly that houses the differential. While the known beam axle assemblies are satisfactory for their intended use, there nevertheless remains a need in the art for an improved beam axle.
For example, axle assemblies for use in off-roading are typically specialized, low-volume components that are relatively expensive to manufacture. We have noted that it would be advantageous to use common parts for front and rear axle assemblies. Because much or all of the lubrication in an axle assembly is achieved by slinging the lubricant from a ring gear, and because the ring gear can be configured to rotate relative to the housing assembly in opposite directions depending on whether the axle housing is used as part of a front axle assembly or a rear axle assembly, we are not aware of any axle housing assemblies having a center section that is common to both a front axle assembly and a rear axle assembly.